RMAN question(s)

I inherited an RMAN environment and discovered something doing test
restores to a different server that I would like to bounce off those
smarter than I. The current backups do a "backup database", "crosscheck
archivelog all", and then a "backup archivelog until time 'SYSDATE'
delete input". This runs every night with no other backups.

What I found during testing is that the archivelog needed to make the
database consistent is not backed up until the following night's backup.
I added TAGs to the script to help me figure this out.

Here is the *last* piece of the database backup. Even though the
database backup starts at 2:32am, it doesn't get to the last piece until
2:47. 9.2.0.6, standard edition, only one channel allowed. :-(

As noted above, the checkpoint time of the database backup is
"26-AUG-2007 02:47:47" and the low time of the archivelog backup is
"26-AUG-2007 02:38:10" so when I restore the database to the checkpoint
time RMAN wants/needs the archivelog from the *next* nights backup. I
feel this opens me up to unnecessary exposure and am thinking of
changing the database backup to include "plus archivelog" so I can
guarantee I can recover to a consistent state with a single night's
backup. Indeed, that is what I have always done in the past. I will
probably add some archivelog backups during the day, as well.

My question is what do people around here do? Backup database and
backup archivelog? Backup database...plus archivelog? I realize this
is somewhat "nuancy" but, personally, I like the idea of at least being
able to get the database back (and opened) with a single night's backup
that is copied to tape. Opinions/thoughts/experiences?

Thanks,
-joe

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